Greatest Final Fantasy Characters

CyraxQC
We all know Final Fantasy for being the best RPG series of all time (fact). One of the major factors in contributing in its unquestionnable prestige is the character design in the games. But who, of all of them, is the greatest?

The Top Ten

1Cloud Strife

I think he has the most interesting story of all the characters in any final fantasy game. He is very iconic and the game was just amazing in my opinion. There is a lot of nostalgia for me since this game came out when I was a kid and I grew up loving this game but with the complete remake of the game and a full movie based off of what happens 2 years after the game it's hard to say most final fantasy fans don't feel the same way.

I think he was the most human (besides Squall and Locke) of all the main characters. His complexities, inability to understand who he is and eventual "rebirth" are what make him an interesting hero. He's not perfect, he is flawed and that makes for great storytelling.

He looks awesome! Got impaled by Sephiroth 2 times! Cutting a motorcycle in half! Able to carry large, broad, swords! MAN HE IS A BAD ASS!

Don't forget Cloud did in fact have military training. He never made it to Soldier but remained as a security guard for Shinra inc. The way I broke it down being in the military; Cloud is your typical "MP" military police whereas Zack is your Special Forces component infused with super soldier syrum like "Captain America". People say Zack made Cloud; I would have to say that is not entirely accurate. In the short movie "The Last Order" you can't deny Cloud's courage to face Septhiroth one on one, knowing he would lose he went on. Cloud gets impaled and still manages to toss Septhiroth into the mako reactor. That has to show something no?

The embodiment of SEXY, EPIC, and EVIL rolled into one. The villains of all villains and the reason why Cloud is a HERO. If Zack Fair was the inspiration as a hero by Cloud then Without SEPHIROTH as the villain, then there will never be a hero.

Hands down to SEPHIROTH. Enough said. - pierreanime

epic hair and epic voice and epic sword and he freaking destroyd the solar system what do you want more from a final fantasy viilian

The Most Villain Character of Final Fantasy Series..Ever...

A proper villain with a proper story arc. The back story of Sephiroth could make a good game itself.

255 accuracy, hits even when blinded. I haven't played all FF games but only Squall and Seifer have this feat of not missing an oponent. Seifer is the only character to break Odin, Squall is the only character Seifer has respected. This is all numbers yes, as for the character Squall has problems may be not as much as Cloud but his determination and will is equal to that of Tidus. Overall FF8 is an RPG that actually wanted us not to level, that presented a villain (Seifer) in Holy knight clothing and an adverse her Squall looking like the villain form the start. No other game including baldur's gate nwn, the diablo and any other ff has such a cruel plot as FF8 does. FF8 sure has looholes as it deals with the time paradox but charaterwise, Squall is the most established in terms of story and most powerful due to 255 acc. In all FF games

Lot of people is mistaken him as an emo but clearly doesn't know his character at all.

Squall he is you typical emo in final fantasy 8

He's cool. All that inner moodiness, angsting and uncertainty about things is pretty believable in a 17 year old. He's just a confused kid trying to make sense of an entire school full of people relying on him the way they do. He doesn't realize that his skill with the Gunblade and his outward apparent stoicness make him a figure in the eyes of people like Rinoa on whom they want to depend. I like how he grows into a mature and reliable person through his friends and Rinoa. He's a natural badass. Also, childhood abandonment issues and literally revisiting his own past and seeing the events that will cause Matron to start Garden... wow. Great lead protagonist.

Aerith is a strong girl. She doesn't have the best looks (those belong to Tifa :3), but she has a lovable personality. Just as you start to like her a lot (and as you start to plan her healing usefulness in battle), Sephiroth happens. So not only have you been traumatized, but you've also lost your main healer. What a dick you are, Sephiroth.

Aerith (or aeris) is a feminine and realistic character you'll enjoy because she's the best female character of all time in final fantasy history because she's so peaceful, harmonious, Angelic and easyto love then suddenly she perishes by the Evil Sephiroth but that's what made Final Fantasy VII (7) amazingly marvellous story so thank you for the creator of final fantasy VII (7) for creating Aerith as a character! I'm from New Zealand Friday 17th May 2014!

The Mary (mother of jesus) of Final fnatasy

I love you,Aerith.RIP - Lord28

5Zack Fair

I really don't get how Cloud is #1, but the man who made Cloud everything he is, is ranked #5 even below Aerith... Zack is a hero amongst heros in the Final Fantasy world. He was easy going, determined, and kind hearted. After being kidnapped, he carried Cloud to freedom for 10 months trying to make it back to Midgar to see Aerith again. He even entrusted his Buster Sword to Cloud and named him his living legacy. I feel like his death was the saddest in any of the games. He fearlessly sacrificed himself for his friends and the people he loved, and Aerith never even knew the lengths he endured to make it back to her. The fact that his honor or legacy is barely ever mentioned again (because Cloud lost his memories of Zack) is tragic and makes him even more appealing of a character. I encourage all Final Fantasy fans to play Final Fantasy Crisis Core (it takes place before the events of FF7) and to watch the movie Final Fantasy: Advent Children. You'll really get an understanding of why ...more

He is the embodiment of heroism within the Final Fantasy series and deserves respect. If it weren't for him Cloud wouldn't even be on top; hell, he might not even have survived and yet everyone takes Zack for granted.

Zack is a SOLDIER First Class, he has that training. Cloud basically learned through experience, which can be helpful at times, but the actual military training is probably more useful. - Jamshidi

The mixture between beauty and her caring personality really appeals to me as an individual. She is not has childish, naive and/or helpless as other characters in Final Fantasy. Also she is able to take care of herself, without seeming too emotionally reserved (or cold). In addition to that, is she capable of criticizing her friends and teammates, without being aggressive - lexifoxi

Vincent Valentine is my favourite fictional character ever, he's such the emo cinnamon rolls and he's adorable and a cutie pie, and is by far the hottest

Too underrated, he is amazing.

SO COOL HE SHOULD BE THE LEADER SO SKILLED

8Zidane

Zidane is just awesome because of his laid back personality and his heart.he saves his enemies from death I mean who does that zidane is a true hero in the final fantasy worlds

Zidane was pretty cool until he headbutted materazzi

...awesome

9YunaYuna is a fictional character from Square Enix's Final Fantasy series. She was first introduced as the female protagonist and one of the main playable characters of the 2001 role-playing video game Final Fantasy X, appearing as a summoner embarking on a journey to defeat the world-threatening monster ...read more.

Everyone is on drugs if they don't think the destroyer of a universe is the strongest.. Get out of your comfort zone and admit Lightning is the strongest!

She's such a bad ass and her character development is also pretty epic as well

She is a very independent, strong woman who doesn't take crap from anyone.

Hands down to Lightning.She had the best character growth in the ff universe. Lightning is a standoffish and no nonsense person, she cared so much for her sister that why she gets her point straight, if they're only going to slow her down why bother? People here don't understand her or maybe they just don't want to because they think cloud is better than her so they call her annoying. Lightning didn't want time be wasted as she thinks every time their wasting is the more harder it is to save Serah.

Character growth:-Was very standoffish at first, when Hope came with her she helped him because was impressed of his determination and even gave him her most priced possession; her knife(but what? People are seeing this as bad because she's giving a knife to a kid and trying to help him kill Snow but truth is she only gave her it for safety and don't forget she said she knew he'll never kill Snow and what, there are people trying to kill them and giving a knife to a kid is ...more - DiaFinis

The Contenders

11Kefka

What? What is Sephiroth doing on 2nd place? Kefka is the best villain in the FF franchise and he's at the 17th place! He needs to get higher!

Of course the characters from VII are gonna be high on the list due to this being a popularity contest... Fact is though, Kefka is a far more intriguing villain than Sephiroth. Honestly I think he's my favorite character in any of the games. So interesting.

The others may as well be the dirt on the bottom of his boots! Or the dirt stuck to the bottom of that dirt!

Kefka is not only the greatest FF Villain, but one of the greatest villains in all of video games.

Tidus has probably the most depth of any character 1-10. He becomes mature and a man before your eyes, he knows what it means to make the ultimate sacrifice to save the ones he loved and cared for, he becomes a powerful character that starts off weak and inexperienced in battle and he is the most relatable of any character in the series. His psychological problems are similar to what most of us face and even though it's a vice to Tidus he stands his ground and keeps fighting. Tidus never gives up in the face of despair making him the quintessential character you would want to take into any battle.

She as a character has to deal with most of her people beins slaughtered before her eyes, her life love having amnesia, and the destruction of both cities she knew as home. Through all this, she remains a loyal compainion, not to mention being one of the more capable player characters in FFIX.